1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the assembly of turbomachine compressors, more particularly those in which the housing includes a casing formed from half shells. Compressors of this type commonly have an upstream ring of the casing formed by two half rings mounted on a downstream ring which is also formed by two half rings.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
In modern compressors of small size, but having a high compression ratio, it may happen that a stator stage is situated in the region of the joint plane separating the upstream ring from the downstream ring of the casing. Thus, a stator stage may be carried by the downstream ring and have the leading edge of its blades projecting into the upstream ring, or conversely it may be carried by the upstream ring and have the trailing edge of its blades projecting into the downstream ring. In this case it is difficult, even impossible, to dismantle radially the casing half rings which carry such stator stages.
One case where it is possible to mount and dismantle such rings is when the stator stage disposed astride the joint plane between the upstream and downstream rings is a stator stage with a variable setting, as it is then possible, during assembly or dismantling, to orientate the blades at an angle such that the leading (or trailing) edges will no longer be situated within the upstream (or downstream) ring adjacent that on which the blades are mounted.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a locking system for such arrangements whereby the blades can be temporarily locked in the assembly and dismantling setting in order to facilitate these operations.